Cellular Softening & Balancing Lotion
The La Prairie Cellular Softening & Balancing Lotion is a toner. Our analysis of its 36 ingredients (25 low-risk) rates it Excellent (91/100). Based on its ingredients, it looks well-suited to oily / acne-prone and dry skin. Heads up: it contains fragrance, which can irritate sensitive or reactive skin.
The La Prairie Cellular Softening & Balancing Lotion is a toner. Our analysis of its 36 ingredients (25 low-risk) rates it Excellent (91/100). Based on its ingredients, it looks well-suited to oily / acne-prone and dry skin. Heads up: it contains fragrance, which can irritate sensitive or reactive skin.
Summarised from our ingredient analysis — not brand marketing copy.
The evidence
| EWG | CIR | Ingredient Name & Cosmetic Functions | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
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Water
(Solvent) |
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Dipropylene Glycol
(Fragrance, Solvent, Viscosity Decreasing Agent, Masking, Viscosity Controlling) |
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Butylene Glycol
(Fragrance, Skin Conditioning, Solvent, Viscositydecreasing Agent, Humectant, Masking, Viscosity Controlling) |
Good for Dry Skin
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Glycerin
(Denaturant, Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Humectant, Oral Care Agent, Oral Health Care Drug, Skin Protecting, Viscosity Decreasing Agent, Perfuming, Solvent) |
Good for Dry Skin
Fungal Acne Trigger
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PEG/PPG/Polybutylene Glycol-8/5/3 Glycerin
(Humectant) |
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PPG-26-Buteth-26
(Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Emulsifying, Surfactant) |
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Glycoproteins
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning) |
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Panax Ginseng Root Extract
(Emollient, Hair Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Tonic) |
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Equisetum Arvense Extract
(Astringent, Emollient, Soothing, Tonic) |
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Propylene Glycol
(Fragrance, Humectant, Skin Conditioningagent Miscellaneous, Solvent, Viscosity Decreasing Agent, Skin Conditioning, Viscosity Controlling) |
Good for Dry Skin
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PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
(Fragrance, Emulsifying, Surfactant, Perfuming) |
Fungal Acne Trigger
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HAMAMELIS VIRGINIANA LEAF EXTRACT
(Skin Conditioning) |
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Borago Officinalis Seed Oil
(Emollient, Skin Conditioning) |
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Lactobacillus Ferment
(Skin Conditioning) |
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Bisabolol
(Fragrance, Skin Conditioning, Soothing) |
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Retinyl Palmitate
(Skin Conditioning, Skin Conditioning Miscellaneous) |
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Ascorbyl Palmitate
(Antioxidant, Masking) |
Fungal Acne Trigger
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Tocopheryl Acetate
(Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning) |
Bad for Oily Skin
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Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract
(Skin Conditioning) |
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Hydroxyethylcellulose
(Binding Agent, Emulsion Stabilising, Film Forming, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Binding, Stabilising, Viscosity Controlling) |
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Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
(Uv Absorber, Uv Filter) |
Bad for Oily Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
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TOCOPHEROL
(Antioxidant, Fragrance, Skin Conditioning) |
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Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
(Emollient, Masking, Perfuming, Skin Conditioning, Solvent) |
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Lecithin
(Skin Conditioning, Emulsifying, Surfactant, Antistatic Agent, Emollient) |
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Disodium EDTA
(Chelating Agent, Viscosity Controlling) |
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Ethylhexylglycerin
(Deodorant, Skin Conditioning) |
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Citric Acid
(Chelating Agent, Fragrance, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent, Masking) |
Bad for Sensitive Skin
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Alcohol
(Antifoaming Agent, Antimicrobial, Astringent, Masking, Solvent, Viscosity Controlling) |
Bad for Dry Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
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Sodium Hydroxide
(Denaturant, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent) |
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PARFUM
(Fragrance, Perfuming) |
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Limonene
(Deodorant, Perfuming, Solvent) |
Allergens
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Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
(Perfuming, Skin Conditioning) |
Allergens
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Geraniol
(Fragrance, Masking, Tonic) |
Allergens
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Citronellol
(Fragrance, Masking) |
Allergens
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Phenoxyethanol
(Fragrance, Preservative) |
Paraben
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CI 17200
(Cosmetic Colorant) |
No personal ingredient notes yet. Save ingredients to your profile to get good/bad alerts here.
EWG flags hazard, not real-world risk — ratings don't account for how much of an ingredient a product contains. Treat these as things to research, not verdicts. How we score →
How to use
General guidance from this product's category and active ingredients — always follow the directions on the package.
Trust & honesty
Contains ingredients some choose to avoid or double-check while pregnant or nursing.
Topical retinoids (retinol, retinaldehyde, retinyl esters) are widely advised against in pregnancy as a precaution. The strongest evidence is for ORAL retinoids; topical absorption is low, but most clinicians err on the side of caution.
This is general information, not medical advice. Pregnancy guidance varies and depends on concentration and your individual situation — always check with your doctor, midwife or pharmacist. How we flag this.
The concentrations these actives are typically effective at in research — not a measurement of this product.
Most studied between 0.1% and 1%. Higher is not automatically better — irritation climbs with dose, so a well-formulated lower strength is often the sweet spot.
Retinyl Palmitate
L-ascorbic acid is usually used at 5–20% (around 10–15% is common). Above ~20% adds little and tends to irritate more; it also needs a low pH to work.
Ascorbyl Palmitate
INCI lists don't disclose amounts, and we don't claim to know this product's levels — these are the ranges these ingredients are usually effective at, so you can tell a real formula from "fairy-dusting" a marketed active. How we estimate this.
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